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As Tuesday dawned inhabitants of this heavily contaminated metropolis found themselves inhaling extremely polluted air that registered in the "severe" range.

Extremely High Air Quality Measurements

Various sections of Delhi recorded an air quality index over 500, which represents a tenfold increase over the healthy threshold set by the WHO.

In some locations, levels of PM2.5 and PM10 soared to of eighteen hundred, amounting to 15 to 20 times above healthy levels.

Fireworks Ban and Recent Changes

For the past four years, authorities had implemented a comprehensive restriction on the distribution and bursting of fireworks during celebrations due to their substantial impact to the deadly smog that covers the metropolis as the cold season begins.

Nevertheless earlier this year, the newly elected city government petitioned the highest court to seek a modification of the prohibition.

Officials advocated for allowing "environmentally conscious pyrotechnics" – historically questioned by environmental experts as being only roughly 30 percent less polluting – as a middle ground between "heritage and ecological concerns".

Court Decision and Reality

Much to the frustration of public health and environmental advocates, judges complied with the request, specifying that environmentally conscious fireworks could be ignited during specific hours throughout the festival.

On Monday night, there was considerable disregard of the time restrictions across the capital, with insufficient regulation regarding whether the firecrackers being used were actually the eco-friendly type.

Many recording stations throughout Delhi recorded pollution spiking around the night hours to some of the worst levels observed during the festival in at least the past three years.

International Consequences

The proliferation of pyrotechnics during the celebrations also initiated a blame game with bordering Pakistan, with representatives in Pakistani Punjab province partially attributing declining air quality in Lahore on contaminants traveling from across the border following the events.

Persistent Environmental Problem

Alarmingly severe levels of pollution in the city have persisted as a serious issue for over a decade and a half, with the condition gradually deteriorating.

Around celebratory seasons, the amount of dangerous airborne contaminants in the atmosphere has been documented to increase dramatically to 70% higher the most severe readings ever measured in Beijing, which was once considered as the globally most contaminated metropolis.

Multiple Contamination Contributors

The situation in the city is resulting from a mix of different contributors including transportation pollution, dust, development work, waste incineration and haze from farm burning in nearby regions of neighboring agricultural zones.

Throughout these areas, rural residents regularly ignite agricultural waste to clear them quickly, creating toxic haze that then gets trapped over the capital as cooler air descends.

Public Health and Financial Impact

Public health and economic impact on the roughly thirty-three million people living in the Delhi area is substantial, according to various research.

These hazardous conditions results in high levels of neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and can potentially cause oncological diseases.

The pollution is estimated to be accounting for ten thousand untimely mortalities per year in Delhi.